Two-sided measurement of opaque parts, including part assemblies, by interferometers involves separately measuring the two sides and relating the separate measurements to each other for making comparisons between the two sides. Part parameter comparisons include three-dimensional form, profile, flatness, parallelism, and thickness.
The measurement of opposite side surfaces of opaque parts is difficult to accomplish using conventional interferometry, particularly for purposes of both measuring the two sides individually, such as for determining flatness of each, and measuring the two sides relative to each other, such as for determining parallelism and thickness. For example, separate interferometers can be used to measure the two sides individually for determining flatness, but each produces a relative measure unrelated to the other.
To overcome such difficulties, two common-path interferometers have been arranged end to end so that their respective reference surfaces form a measuring cavity straddling the opaque test parts. One interferometer measures distances between corresponding points on a first side of the opaque test parts and its reference surface. The other interferometer measures distances between corresponding points on a second side of opaque test parts and its reference surface. At least one of the two overlapping interferometers also measures distances between corresponding points on the two reference surfaces. Distances between points on opposite sides of the opaque test parts can be calculated from the relative measures of their two sides and the two reference surfaces. Each side of the opaque test parts can be individually defined and spatially related to their other side for constructing a three-dimensional representation of the opaque test parts.
Generally, the two measurement arms are bolted together to maintain the two measurement arms in a common orientation within which the opposite side measurements are made. Through such connections, mechanical and thermal instabilities within either of the measurement arms can be transferred to the other. For example, mechanical displacements, including vibrations, as well as changes in temperature or pressure, can affect the relative orientation of the two reference surfaces, which complicates comparisons between the measurements taken by the two measurement arms.